Thread by @soychicka

A thought on OTC DNA screening:

If someone can get hold of a report on what types of cancer or other serious medical issues you're susceptible to, they might be able to weaponize that information against you, expose you to mutagens/carcinogens that put you at greater risk....

If someone shows a proto-oncogenic mutation in KIT, or at codon 600 of BRAF, for example, application of a short-lived carcinogen-tainted DMSO could induce mutation and be gone by the time cancer is detected...
ascopost.com/issues/novembe…

If someone has a KIT mutation, repeatedly expose the same part of their body to UV light - ie while they're sleeping - or if you want to be really diabolical, give them a modified toy like this to expose the vaginal or anal mucous membrane to UV light. toymakerproject.com/hammer/http://…

Sure, it's a long game (longer than just stabbing someone) but the plausible deniability is out of this world.

Well, unless you're a putative billionaire genius with access to top scientific minds and their research labs and your own creepy private island with underground lair.

And that's how you go evil genius.

[ And... if you have never watched Dr Horrible, please do. Now. It's on Amazon/iTunes/etc. ]

Curious what @StevenSalzberg1 thinks about this far-reached, yet plausible, weaponization of data from OTC genetic testing, since he's has written on the subject... ( disc of analysis of the UX intended and actual messaging conveyed on these sites is a story for another day )...

And if anyone knows of any controls these sites have that exist to ensure someone can't get an analysis of someone else's genetic vulnerabilities, I'd be interested, but since you can purchase kits and submit under assumed names w/o linkng real ID, I'd assume minimal controls.

Dammit, @twitter, you really need to add a preview function if you can't edit.

toymakerproject.com/hammer/